Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of immune checkpoint inhibitors functioning

What are immune checkpoint inhibitors? Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that can inhibit the co-inhibitory immune checkpoint pathways , so that enhancing cancer immunity. Most of the immune checkpoint inhibitors are blocking antibodies. Sometimes fusion proteins can also act as immune checkpoint inhibitors. The immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a mainstay in melanoma therapy, with potential roles in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial cancer, head and neck cancer, ovarian cancer, and various lymphomas et al. With many immune checkpoint molecules becoming targets of cancer therapy, numerous immune checkpoint inhibitors is underway.